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ENUFF Z’NUFF To Release ‘Clowns Lounge’ December 2 via Frontiers

Enuff Z’nuff is the living, breathing example of what a rock/ pop group should be. In fact, the band is the very chrome-glinted definition of it.

With every album and live performance packed to the brim with rock/ pop perfection, there are no signs of the band slowing down. You can catch the band on tour through 2017 in support of its soon to be released album“Clowns Lounge”. A complete list of dates including shows with Tracii Guns and Ace Frehley can be found below.Clowns Lounge is a collection of rarities and early demos that have been reworked and re-recorded by the band and will be released December 2nd via Frontiers Music Srl. This exceptional collection also features a guest appearance from the late Jani Lane of Warrant as well as an appearance from James Young of Styx.

As people have been clamoring for a new release from Enuff Z’nuff, the band just happened to receive a call from Derek Shulman, and the rest was history: ‘We had unfinished, unreleased material in the vault, and I went back into the studio in Chicago and started working on all the songs. Guitars, bass, vocals, it all needed to be tweaked, and with help from Chicago Recording Company and Chris Steinmetz of Stonecutter recording studios, we were able to create another rock solid record. It is basically an archival record featuring original band and Enuff Z’nuff as it is today. The record showcases the best elements of Enuff Z’nuff in the early days ; in your face glitter rock with pop overtones. This is a true must have rock record for the diehard Enuff Z’nuff fans worldwide.”

Chip on how the songs came about: ‘Donnie and I wrote the songs in the later part of 1988-89. They were recorded in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on 2″ inch analog tape, during the time of our debut. The tracks were never finished, as we were very prolific and focused on laying down as many ideas as possible. Through the resources provided to us: recording studio, production, etc., we had a plethora of songs during that era and for one reason or another this batch slipped through the cracks. To restore the record we returned to the studio to record guitar, bass vocals, etc. which took us about six weeks in my studio and at CRC (Chicago Recording Company) along with Stonecutter studio in downtown Chicago. The skeleton of the song was already in place and we wanted to make sure the record had the feel of where the band is today. We also added a bonus single track (Dog on a Bone) that we plan on releasing as the first single.’

Of course a huge contributing member to this release was Donnie Vie. ‘Donnie and I wrote the songs together, as we have on all the Enuff Z’nuff albums. In 2013 Donnie left the band, disillusioned by the business and facing related health issues, and although he will not tour with the band he still shares in our vision of putting out great music. As he is dealing with his medical condition, we have his blessings on the record and moving forward with me as lead singer. When Peter Gabriel left Genesis, Phil Collins took over lead vocal duties. That is exactly the template we used here as now I front the band and look forward to moving it into the future’, says Chip.

‘Clowns Lounge’ Track Listing:

1. Dog On A Bone
2. Runaway
3. Back In Time
4. She Makes It Harder
5. Rockabye Dreamland
6. The Devil Of Shakespeare (Feat. Jani Lane and James Young)
7. Radio
8. Good Luv
9. Round And Round
10. Nothing
11. Backstreet Kids
12. One More Hit

More Info on Enuff Z’nuff:
It was the summer of 1989, and in came a strutting, loud and proud Enuff Z’nuff. With the release of the band’s self-titled debut album, the first single ‘New Thing’ quickly tore up the radios airwaves, and became a favorite in heavy rotation on MTV.

In response to both its national and international success, the band followed up ‘New Thing’ in 1990 with the release of the bittersweet rock ballad ‘Fly High Michelle’. The song immediately elevated the band to gold status and in 1991 had Rolling Stone magazine naming Enuff Z’nuff as ‘one of the more exciting and gifted bands on the scene today.’

Still a major force after 20 albums, Enuff Z’nuff has gone on to earn a legion of loyal fans, and has earned the respect and acclaim of its peers and contemporaries.

DRN is thrilled to be returning to Europe this next March, says Reed. ‘Dan Pred, Brion James, Melvin Brannon II, Rob Daiker and I are really looking forward to playing many new and unique venues throughout the UK, and rockin’ up the funk hard core and meeting all those who are able to attend and bring down the house with us. We thank you for the many years of support and especially believing that we had new music in us to offer! We are forever grateful for you all being there with us on this journey!’

Frontiers Music Srl released Dan Reed Network’s latest studio album ‘Fight Another Day’ on Friday June 3rd, 2016. The album marked a significant and anticipated return of one of the most infectious and gifted bands to come out in the melodic rock world in the second part of the 1980’s.

Originally formed in Portland, Oregon, Dan Reed Network packed out local clubs from late 1984 through 1986 with their compelling mix of musical styles ranging from hard rock, funk and soul. In 1987, the first single, ‘Ritual’, peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Charts and became a staple of the funk rock.

While attending the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum induction ceremony in NYC in January 1989, Dan Reed met up with producer Nile Rodgers (Duran Duran, Madonna, David Bowie) which led to the creation of the second album ‘Slam’. Produced by Rodgers, it better represented the Dan Reed Network’s live sound and accelerated the band’s growing status in Europe. Dan Reed Network opened the European leg of Bon Jovi’s ‘New Jersey Tour’ in 1989 and The Rolling Stones’ European Urban Jungle Tour in 1990.

DRN’s third album ‘The Heat’, produced by Bruce Fairbairn in 1991, was their biggest success in the UK, mostly due to the single ‘Lover’ which was accompanied by a live video from Wembley Stadium filmed when they opened for the Stones.

Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis reunite LA Guns and release new album in 2017

Frontiers Music Srl is delighted to welcome the reunion of Tracii Guns And Phil Lewis as L.A. GUNS to the label for the release of a brand new album set for release in the summer of 2017.

After a nearly 15 year break, Philip Lewis and Tracii Guns are back together for another chapter in their partnership that began in 1986, four years after Tracii formed L.A. Guns in 1982.

Their writing partnership spawned classic L.A. GUNS songs such as “Sex Action”, “Never Enough”, “Electric Gypsy”, “The Ballad Of Jayne”, and countless more in an impressive catalog of fan favorites. The last time Lewis and Guns joined forces was back in 2000 with legendary producer Andy Johns for the making of what would become “Waking The Dead” – an album that went on to receive tremendous critical acclaim and proved that their musical partnership was every bit as strong as the early days with all-killer-no-filler songs including “Don’t Look At Me That Way”, “Hellraisers Ball”, and “The Ballad”.

“I think we owe it to our fans who have stuck with us during the many ups and downs of the band’s long and checkered career,” says Lewis. “Tracii and I have written the songs to the soundtrack of many people’s lives, and I think it’s definitely worth investigating to see if the magic is still there.”

As for Guns, he’s been compiling song ideas over the last year and promises this one will be one of the band’s heaviest records, simply stating, “It’s good to be home.”

The band has already confirmed a bunch of UK shows in early 2017 and two shows at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles, CA with more surprises to be announced soon!

Seven – ‘Fight’ official music video

“Fight”, is taken from SEVEN’s new album Shattered, which is released today (September 23rd), by UK label Escape Music Ltd. “Fight” was co-written with well known songwriter Jeff Paris (Mr. Big, Vixen, Y&T, Paul Stanley).

The roots of SEVEN can be traced back to the late ’80s/early ’90s in South Africa, of all places. At the time, Keith McFarlane and the brothers Simon and John LeFevre were in a band called FACE TO FACE, while Mick Devine was drummer in another band, called UC27. After releasing several singles and one album in a period of 18 months, FACE TO FACE split and the brothers LeFevre returned to the U.K. After a few months, they decided to reform the band and Mick was asked to join them in the U.K. as their drummer. It wasn’t before long that the brothers discovered that Mick was actually a better singer than drummer, and so Mick became the band’s lead vocalist. A couple of years later, they were joined by Pat Davey on bass and Austin Lane on drums and the band name was changed to SEVEN.

The AOR scene in the late eighties was a thriving hive of activity. At the turn of the new decade, the likes of Mitch Malloy, Paul Laine, FIREHOUSE, TYKETTO and TALISMAN were all signed up and ready to make an impact on the genre. Everybody wanted an AOR band, and Polydor Records was no exception. Having been fairly successful in the U.K with the likes of MAGNUM and LITTLE ANGELS, the label had set their sights on SEVEN, which at the time was a relatively unknown act from Bournemouth.

SEVEN toured extensively supporting an eclectic variety of acts that included the likes of Jason Donovan, Richard Marx, THE MONKEES and BROTHER BEYOND. It’s a time period that Mick Devine is keen to reminisce about. “Even though they were out and out pop gigs, we loved the crowds and the noise,” he says. “We went from pubs to opening to 3000 screaming fans in Southampton. It is a very addictive adrenaline rush. We got to play all the top venues, which were fantastic — including Wembley Arena, the NEC, BIC, SEC and even the Royal Albert Hall. The Richard Marx tour was definitely the best for us with a more grown up audience we were able to rock it up and truly be ourselves. It went down really well!”

With John Parr as producer, they recorded two very strong singles in the shape of “Inside Love” and “Man With A Vision”, both of which achieved moderate success in the U.K.

In 2014, the original bass player Pat Davey was working alongside Robert Hart on an Escape Music album when the name SEVEN cropped up in the conversation. It would seem that Khalil Turk was a big fan, as Devine explains. “Yeah, back in the day, Khalil had really loved the band and he got in touch to see if we would be interested in finally releasing an album,” he says. Without too much convincing, the project was born.

The production talents of Lars Chriss (the LION’S SHARE guitarist whose repertoire includes albums with Steve Overland, Chris Ousey, LUGNET, NIVA and RADIOACTIVE) were enlisted to produce the band’s debut album, called “7”, which was released to critical acclaim and was held up as one of the “albums of the year” on many lists.

Following the success of the first album, a passion was rekindled within Devine and McFarlane, who began work on new material, and along with the writing talents of Lars Chriss, Fredrik Bergh (BLOODBOUND, ROB MORATTI, STREET TALK), Andy Loos (LION’S SHARE, GLORY, CHRIS OUSEY), Kay Backlund (LION’S SHARE, NIVA) and Jeff Paris (MR. BIG, Y&T, VIXEN, RADIOACTIVE), that passion was given focus and a place to come to life. What they discovered was a well of untapped creativity that had been hidden for far too long and the songs poured out.

SEVEN’s “Shattered” is a collection of wonderfully catchy songs that rely on clean and memorable melodies that allow Devine’s distinctive voice to shine through. It was Devine who took the lead in writing the lyrics on this album, matching the intensity and feel of the music to deliver a modern melodic rock album with influences ranging from hints of FOREIGNER in “A Better Life” and “Broken Dream”, JOURNEY in “High Hopes” and even traces of MAGNUM in “Light Of 1000 Eyes” and “Last Illusion”. The lyrical themes are drawn from a depth of life experience and observations and are heartfelt and real. The production talents of Chriss and the lineup of truly great musicians, deliver an album of depth and variation which ranges from driving guitar-led tracks with memorable riffs to melodic anthems, all backed by stunning keys, bass and standout solos. It is an album that is a worthy follow-up to the critically acclaimed “7”.
“Shattered” track listing:

01. Light Of 1000 Eyes
02. A Better Life
03. Fight
04. Shattered
05. Live This Life
06. Pieces Of You
07. Broken Dream
08. High Hopes
09. I Needed Time
10. Taking Over
11. Last Illusion
12. World Of Make Believe (bonus track for Japan)
SEVEN is:

Glenn Hughes – ‘Heavy’ music video

Hevidence release debut album ‘Nobody’s Fault’ in December

Frontiers Music Srl announces the release of Hevidence’s debut album, “Nobody’s Fault” on December 2, 2016.

Hevidence is the brainchild of Italian guitar player Diego Reali, founding member of Italian Prog Metal masters DGM. After he left the band in 2006, he started dabbling in some different musical styles, but his heart called for him to get back to metal! Thus Hevidence were born and Diego joined up with DGM bass player Andrea Arcangeli, singer Corrado Quoiani and drummer Emiliano Bonini.

“This band is highly inspired by the classic hard and heavy sounds from the ’70s and ’80s, that’s why we worked hard to make this album sound the most vintage that was possible,” tells Diego. “We are convinced that a huge dose of improvisation during the recording sessions is needed for the success of an original product. Everyone of us has many different musical influences and they came out in a very spontaneous way within the song writing process, we just believe in the word “ROCK”!!!”

Hevidence offer a mature and personal vision of hard rock and metal with a style reminiscent of the classic Official Yngwie Malmsteen albums mixed with power metal and melodic hard rock influences (think early Europe).

Dario Mollo’s Crossbones unleash ‘Rock The Cradle’ in December

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the release of Dario Mollo’s CROSSBONES new album, “Rock the Cradle” on December 2nd.

Best known for his partnerships in the The Cage with Tony Martin (ex-Black Sabbath) and Voodoo Hill with Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion, Deep Purple, California Breed), Italian guitarist Dario Mollo began his career in 1981 with the band CROSSBONES. With them, he released his first studio album in 1989, which was produced by Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy Official, MAGNUM and UFO, among others) before getting involved in the production side of things himself.

For this new CROSSBONES album, the Italian axeman brought back original drummer, Ezio Secomandi with the line-up completed by his regular collaborator Dario Patti on bass and keyboards. The choice for the singer was Carl Sentance (Nazareth, Don Airey Band, Persian Risk, KROKUSonline), who came at the suggestion of Don Airey of Deep Purple, during a recent visit to Dario’s home.

“I think this record has a strong identity and character,” tells Dario. “It is a mature production and the songs range on many styles of hard rock and classic heavy metal, but every song has a catchy chorus. I also think this album shows how much I liked working with Carl. He is easily one of the best singers I have ever worked with. I am certain our cooperation will not end with this cd!” concludes Dario. The quality of the material presented here is witness to that statement.

Graham Bonnet – ‘Into The Night’ official music video

Xandria reveal details about upcoming album ‘Theater of Dimensions’

The story continues …

After the successful release of XANDRIA’s latest masterpiece “Sacrificium” (2014, Napalm Records) and their spectacular EP “Fire & Ashes” (2015, Napalm Records), the band is ready to unleash their latest effort in terms of fantastic and epic symphonic metal:

Please welcome the highly anticipated brand new album entitled „Theater of Dimensions“!

Theater of Dimensions“ will be released worldwide on January 27th 2017 via Napalm Records!

The band has definitely taken the next big step and will win over fans and critics alike.
XANDRIA commented on their new album „Theater of Dimensions“:
“After the release of “Sacrificium” we embarked on our longest Tour so far. Over 150 shows that took us around the globe. Through so many different countries and diverse cultures. Through so many different, yet inspiring dimensions. We brought back plenty of memories, sometimes just bits and pieces, but those stuck to our heads. And it made us see who we are and where we wanted to take our music. Made us fearless. Made us push our boundaries once more. Made us cross some so-called genre defining borders. Made us bundle all our trademarks and take them to the next level. All this makes the most colourful Xandria album so far. It contains our most heavy and most emotional moments. Again, producer Joost van den Broek did a phenomenal job capturing the atmosphere down to every detail. A Theater of musical Dimensions. Can’t wait to share the songs with you…”

XANDRIA will be heavily hitting the road not only in Europe as well as Latin America, Canada and the US!

Civil War set to release thrid album ‘The Last Full Measure’ in November

Civil War are back and shooting martial anthems into the darkened sky. On November 4th the proud Heavy Metal-hitmakers are releasing their third epos The Last Full Measure. The quintet with former Sabaton-members present twin guitars, keyboard-fanfares and doublebass-marches. Full of honor they are flying the flag as high as possible. Astral Doors-singer Nils Patrik Johansson proves that his powerful voice was marked by destiny. It offers guts for more. It’s the call of duty. “Heaven can wait ’cause we have so many more battles to win”, shouts the opening track ‘Road To Victory’. Their debut album The Killer Angels was purified with gold already – their triumph is inevitable. If you hear the bloodcurdling barking of the dogs from Civil War you will pray that you are not standing on the other side of the battlefield.

Comment of Nils Patrik Johannson:
“After The Killer Angels and Gods & Generals, we are extremely proud and can´t wait to share the last part of the trilogy! This is our best work so far, at least this is what we think, but I´m sure you won´t be disappointed!

The Last Full Measure will be released worldwide on November 4th 2016.

Tracklist:

1 Road To Victory
2 Deliverance
3 Savannah
4 Tombstone
5 America
6 A Tale That Never Should Be Told
7 Gangs Of New York
8 Gladiator
9 People Of The Abyss
10 The Last Full Measure
11 Strike Hard Strike Sure (Bonus Track)
12 Aftermath (Bonus Track)

Love/Hate release ‘Before The Blackout’

Love Hate – Before the Blackout!

AorBlvd Records are pleased to release Love Hate – Before The Blackout.
A collection of demos recorded from 1986 – 1987. The cd also features
liner notes by industry legend Dave Reynolds (Classic Rock/ Kerrang )

Looking back at bands formation and recording history that goes further back into the early 1980’s,
starting off as Data Clan who recorded an extremely rare EP and even performed a short tour of Japan.

In the Later half of the 1980’s together with a hard working attitude the band established a reputation
on the tough Sunset Strip club gig scene, drafting in Ratt bassist Juan Croucier to produce working demos.
This period saw the band influenced and transforming into some of the most innovative styles of rock
music,with lyrical topics of lifestyle and self survival in CA with a deeper gritty dark side.

In 1990 the grunge scene is in its later stage of infancy , Love Hate released their official debut
with producer Tom Werman (Cheap Trick, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister). Instantly well received and
MTV rotation paid off as this led to supporting tours to AC/DC and Dio, As well as outstanding sales
in the Uk

Eternal Idol release their debut album ‘The Unrevealed Secret’ in December

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the upcoming release of ETERNAL IDOL’s debut album, entitled “The Unrevealed Secret”, on December 2nd

Eternal Idol is a new band formed in early 2016 and that marks the start of a new musical adventure for Rhapsody Of Fire and Angra singer Fabio Lione, together with the experienced Italian guitar player Nick Savio (exHOLLOW HAZE Official Page) and a line-up completed by the young vocal rising star Giorgia Colleluori, Camillo Colleluori (both also from Hollow Haze) on drums and Andrea Buratto (Secret Sphere, Hell in the Club) on bass.

While all the musicians have solid pedigrees and musical history behind them, ETERNAL IDOL have a brand new and original sound which will certainly catch many fans by surprise. Fabio Lione says, “[a]fter all the experiences with bands such as KAMELOT, Rhapsody of Fire, Angra and many more, I think it is time to show the world a new side of myself with this amazing new band. Musically, ETERNAL IDOL offer an intriguing mix of classic metal, symphonic rock and a few progressive twists which is truly unique, thanks to the combination of female and male vocals.”

Fabio took care of most of the lyrics and vocal melodies, along with three gorgeous tracks he wrote, while Nick Savio worked hard on songwriting and arrangements. “The Unrevealed Secret” is the album where all our ideas came to the light,” says the axeman from Vicenza. “Heavy classic rock with symphonic elements and the magic atmosphere of two lead vocals, male and female, create a contrast between good and bad as the main subject, as it is possible to see on the impressive and mysterious cover artwork.”

The album was recorded in the summer of 2016, produced by Nick Savio and mixed by Simone Mularoni (DGM, Sunstorm) and promises to be one of the melodic metal releases of the year. Fans of Kamelot, Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall, MasterPlan, and Avantasia should pay attention.

“There is a story to be told with this album, and the secret will be revealed on the next Eternal Idol releases, so please take your time to listen this first chapter and enjoy….A new story has begun,” Nick concludes.
“The Unrevealed Secret” tracklisting is:

Chicago’s The Last Vegas recently released their highly anticipated fifth studio album ‘Sweet Salvation’ and have posted the album’s latest music video for the single “You And Me”.

‘Sweet Salvation’, the follow-up to 2012’s hugely successful ‘Bad Decisions’ and 2009’s Sleaze Roxx chart topping ‘Whatever Gets You Off’, was released on May 12th in Europe and May 13th in North America via The ILS Group. The album was recorded at the end of 2013 in Los Angeles, California by renowned producer and engineer Roy Z.

The Last Vegas funded the recording of ‘Sweet Salvation’ through a successful crowdsourcing campaign at www.pledgemusic.com/projects/thelastvegas. “We have a lot more stuff for you to check out as well while you wait for the album,” said the band to fans that donated towards their campaign. “A first look at our new music video for the next single “You And Me”, access to see some more album artwork and a listen of a song clip from the new album. We also have some new products to get your hands on, both a limited pressing of Bad Decisions on transparent red vinyl and a limited pressing of Sweet Salvation on yellow vinyl. Both will be signed by the band and only available in the Pledge Music store for pre-order.”

Having recently played alongside Guns N’ Roses, Nikki Sixx, Theory Of A Deadman and Hinder, the band will be visiting UK, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium through May and June in support of the new album. A video for the album’s lead single, “Come With Me”, was released last year and a free download of the track is being offered at www.facebook.com/thelastvegas.

In the history of heavy metal not many bands can claim to be able to celebrate their breakthrough twice. Accept managed this four years ago with their reunion record ‘Blood Of The Nations’ — returning with a vengeance! Now Accept open the next chapter in their book of heavy metal, with the upcoming studio record ‘Blind Rage’ — which will be out on August 15th.

‘Blind Rage’, just like its two predecessors with new vocalist Mark Tornillo, has been produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap. “The cover artwork done by Daniel Goldsworthy shows the beast coming over us — in blind rage — all over the planet. Wherever we go, whenever you turn on the TV, there is blind rage in the works — either natural catastrophes or man-made madness,” continued Hoffmann.

There will also be a limited edition digipak version of ‘Blind Rage’ that includes either a bonus DVD or BluRay disc and features a complete Accept live show recorded in Chile 2013 during the ‘Stalingrad’ tour. Upfront will be the single release of the opening track “Stampede”, which will be out on July 11th digitally and on a limited vinyl edition. The band also did a video clip for “Stampede”, which will be ready by the end of June.

Hardly any other band has influenced the heavy metal genre as much as German legends Accept. Classics albums such as ‘Restless And Wild’ (1982), ‘Balls To The Wall’ (1983) and ‘Metal Heart’ (1985), have inspired generations of new bands, and this has continued since their reunion in 2009. Both ‘Blood Of The Nations’ (2010) and ‘Stalingrad’ (2012) entered the charts globally and were voted among the best albums of their respective years by Sleaze Roxx readers, and underline the premiere league status Accept still have today.

‘Blind Rage’ track listing:01. Stampede02. Dying Breed03. Dark Side Of My Heart04. Fall Of The Empire05. Trail Of Tears06. Wanna Be Free07. 200 Years08. Bloodbath Mastermind09. From The Ashes We Rise10. The Curse11. Final Journey

Judas Priest Announce Lead-Off Single From Upcoming Album

Judas Priest have set “March Of The Damned” as the lead-off single from their forthcoming studio album ‘Redeemer Of Souls’.

For the past few weeks, metalheads worldwide have undoubtedly been enjoying the “sneak peak” title track from Judas Priest’s forthcoming ‘Redeemer Of Souls’ album. And on Monday, May 19th, the official lead-off single from the album, “March Of The Damned,” will be released to rock and metal radio, and will be available for purchase via all digital sales providers. Additionally, on the same day, preorders for the full album will be made available through iTunes.

As the band themselves said about “March Of The Damned”, “Our passion for heavy metal has never diminished, and this track sounds off with real conviction!”

‘Redeemer Of Souls’ will be made available from Epic Records on Tuesday, July 15th as both a standard version and a deluxe edition with five bonus tracks. When asked what fans can expect from Judas Priest’s 17th album overall, guitarist Glenn Tipton replied, “Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically — so we have listened!! From start to finish ‘Redeemer Of Souls’ is 13 songs of pure classic Priest metal!!”

And soon, fans will discover that Judas Priest has assembled another metal classic, with the “March Of The Damned” single and ‘Redeemer Of Souls’ full-length.

Ace Frehley Enlists KISS ‘Destroyer’ Artist For Solo Album Artwork

Ace Frehley has tapped long time friend and artist Ken Kelly to create the album cover for his upcoming solo album ‘Space Invader’, due out July 8th through E1 Music.

Kelly, who created the iconic cover art for two of KISS’s best selling LPS, ‘Destroyer’ (1976) and ‘Love Gun’ (1977), says, “It was very exciting when I was approached with the idea of doing an album cover for Ace. I had spoken to Ace on a few occasions about the possibility, so I was delighted when it actually happened.”

Ace Frehley himself comments, “I’ve been talking with Ken Kelly since 2007 about painting a CD cover for me and it has finally happened! I couldn’t be more excited about the new Space Invader cover and the music behind it is also going to rock your world!”

With nearly 35 years between projects, KISS fans will surely be excited about this long-time duo working together again. Kelly concludes, “I am very pleased with the results and proud to play a part of Ace’s continuing successful career!”

‘Space Invader’ will contain at least nine original songs and a cover of the Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker.” Frehley has said that his fans can expect a sound similar to his 1978 solo album, which contained the hit “New York Groove.” Frehley’s previous solo album, ‘Anomaly’, was released in 2009. The record reached #27 on the Billboard charts and was named one of the best albums that year by Sleaze Roxx readers.

“I’m really excited about this record, because everybody that’s heard the tracks just says they think some of the tracks are even better than Anomaly, and even showing another side of me,” Frehley told Rolling Stone earlier this year. “There’s two songs I’m going to re-track, but I’m doing mostly overdubs. Most of the hard work is over.”

Frehley also said that the album would feature collaborations with his girlfriend Rachael Gordon and told Rolling Stone that an album of covers and remakes would follow ‘Space Invader’. “That one will be a real treat for the fans, too,” Frehley said. “I want to get some celebrity guests to play on it, some of the covers and stuff, get Slash, Mike McCready, my buddy from Pearl Jam. You know. The list is endless.” Then, with a laugh, he added, “I might even get Gene Simmons to play bass on a track.”

Motley Crue Hope To Have New Single Ready For Farewell Tour

Motley Crue is saying a well-publicized farewell to the road starting this summer, but it won’t be coming empty handed.

Tommy Lee tells Billboard that he’s “just finished the drums” for “All Bad Things Must End”, a new track the Crue hopes to have out by the time the farewell tour with Alice Cooper kicks off July 2nd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and which he says will be attached to a new greatest hits album that will accompany the trek.

“We’re just mixing (the song) and getting it together,” Lee reports. “It’s pretty heavy, but it’s really melodic. It’s definitely about this time right now with the band and what the feeling is and kind of all that wrapped into a song. I hate to say it’s like a goodbye, but it definitely references our time here.”

Meanwhile, the quartet is getting its show together for the tour. “There’s a whole new production being built that’s pretty fucking insane,” Lee says. As for the setlist, he adds that the Crue is talking about two-hour sets “so we can play all the hits and then hopefully dig into some deep stuff, since this is the last chance to play them.”

The group is also digging into “The Dirt”, the long awaited film adaptation of its vivid 2001 band biography. Lee says he and bassist Nikki Sixx recently sat down with director Jeff Tremaine for a read-through of the script that he calls “probably the most fucking insanely surrealistic experience I’ve ever sat through — probably two hours and change of literally watching people act and play through this two-hour plus movie of 30 years of your life. I was just like, ‘What the fuck?! That’s insane! This movie is insane!’ Even just the way the movie starts, you’re like, ‘How the hell are we gonna rate this thing? Triple R?'”

Lee says casting is slated for late July, most likely with unknown actors playing the band members who will subsequently join the Crue on tour for a bit of boot camp. “I can just imagine some 25-year-old actor getting the part and being sent on the road to hang out and study us,” Lee says with a laugh. “Wow, what a trip! They’re gonna definitely come back a different animal.”

Lee, meanwhile, has tried on a different musical skin lately, playing drums for the next Smashing Pumpkins album. He’s recorded demos with Billy Corgan in Los Angeles and expects to be back in the studio during the next few weeks to record the finished songs. “I think he has probably the best record he’s ever written,” Lee says. “These are like epic, goose-bump songs. It sounds like the first couple of Smashing Pumpkins records. I was fucking blown away.”

Lee is also starting to chart his own post-Crue career. While several potential projects are on the runway, he says that “I have one thing in particular I’ve really got my heart set on. I can’t really talk about it too much, but I’ve been writing music for it, and I’ve got a hard drive full of some crazy shit that I’ve been working on that the music scene definitely needs right now. There’s nothing like it. It’s definitely some new music, and there’ll be a new band that’s gonna blow some minds.”

MRCD12 – TRACK LIST AND SELECT SAMPLES REVEALED:The MelodicRock compilation series of CDs will be added to once again with the release of MRCD12“Better Days”, due for release June 23.This compilation is just a little different from past releases. I am attempting to help raise some funds for the school my 3 boys attend, which is a Christian school. So I have compiled some of the best Christian themed songs, or songs of hope, that I could find from the present, future and past.These range from some of the best known names in our genre to some brand new names that you are definitely going to hear more from in the coming months/years.Some are active Christian artists, some are more subtle, but all have produced some wonderful songs that I’m very proud to combine into this one compilation. A thank you to all the artists that have supported this compilation.

MRCD12 is going to be a VERY limited public release. There’s only 500 being manufactured ever and the majority of those are going direct to the school. That means that there is a VERY limited supply for MelodicRock.com fans, so when pre-orders come available THIS FRIDAY, get in early to ensure delivery.The cover art tis time around is from the very talented Nello Dell’Omo from Art For Music, also responsible for the upcoming MRR title Sound Of Eternity (which will also be available for pre-order this Friday).

Speaking of pre-orders – ALL those that pre-ordered Loud Lion and The Radio Sun will have their CDs shipped out by Friday. I’m just packing them up now and some have already left! Lillian Axe pre-orders shipped last week. See showcases to order these titles!

OUTLOUD PRESENT BRAND NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR THEIR SINGLE “I WAS SO BLIND”:The Greek kings of melodic hard rock featuring Bob Katsionis (Firewind), American singer Chandler Mogel (Khaos, ex-Talon) and bassist Sverd (AmongRuins) announce the release of their brand new video for the single “I Was So Blind” from their forthcoming album Let’s Get Serious, out on May 23rd on the AOR Heaven label.The video was filmed at the historic Revenge of Rock club in Athens, Greece, and features brand new members Kostas Milonas (drums) and Jim Scordilis (guitar). Additionally the video stars gorgeous Greek model Angelina Stratigaki and was directed by the renown Greek rock videographer Themis of RawRec Productions. This video marks a long awaited return to form for Outloud, as they further go on to campaign sonically on their upcoming album.You can view the entire video, right here, right now!

Keep a lookout for Let’s Get Serious in stores in Europe and everywhere digitally on May 23. Facebook: /outloudtheband Twitter: @outloudtheband.

When Rick Springfield arrives just before 4 p.m. for a soundcheck at the Barnes and Noble in Manhattan’s Union Square — the location for a 7 o’clock acoustic performance and the first signing for his new book, “Magnificent Vibration” — there are already several dozen fans in line. A good number of them arrived more than six hours earlier to claim their spot at the front of the queue.In addition to their idol’s latest title — a required purchase for those who want Springfield’s signature — several fans are clutching the singer-actor’s New York Timesbest-selling memoir, 2010’s “Late, Late at Night;” a few are armed with vinyl albums, like 1981’s “Working Class Dog” (which features the Grammy-winning single, “Jessie’s Girl”); and a couple are wearing T-shirts advertising General Hospital, the soap that made him a star.Despite this show of support, the first-time fiction writer is a ball of nerves in a back room. Even as he’s realizing a lifelong dream of publishing a novel, Springfield is being paid an unwelcome visit by the antagonist from his autobiography: Mr. D, or his persistent depression.

“I’ve been depressed since puberty,” says Springfield, wearing rectangular spectacles and black low-top Converse. “A lot of artists I know are depressed. That’s one thing that writing [“Late, Late at Night”] showed me, that the good side of being depressed and having all these dark issues is that that’s really where the songs come from — where anything I write comes from.”Springfield is also nervous about how his novel will be received, explains Stacy Creamer, the former Touchstone publisher who bought and edited both of his books. (Creamer was let go by Touchstone last fall but begins her new job as VP, executive editor of Hachette Books in June.) Unlike most celebrities, Springfield penned both titles himself, without the help of a ghost writer.“We did the memoir and it did well,” says Creamer, one of the few editors who bid on “Late, Late at Night,” which now ranks among Rolling Stone’s 25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time. “So I encouraged him: ‘You might think about writing fiction, because I really think you could write a novel.’”Those words were music to Springfield’s ears. “I’ve always wanted to,” he says. “I wrote stories as a kid. The only decent grades I got at school was for my essays. I thought that would be my focus, but then I picked up the guitar, and music took over. I channeled it into songwriting.”

Usually writers and editors work together on the shaping of a novel, so imagine Creamer’s surprise when, one day in April of 2013, she received an email from Springfield out of the blue containing a finished manuscript. “I thought, In what world does this happen?” she recalls. “I thought we’d talk about it: What it’d be about, how he would structure it, then he’d write an outline. Rick had written the whole thing on his own in five months!”Creamer read it overnight and says she “bought it right away.”“I was able to make the case at the [publishing] house: “The memoir sold well, he’s got a great social media platform,” she says. “But the main thing is, I love the novel. I would have wanted to publish if it hadn’t been by Rick Springfield.”Indeed, “Magnificent Vibration” is an ambitious, cinematic, darkly humorous first work that vaults backwards and forwards in time and is set in multiple locations. Centered around the main character’s cellphone conversations with God — or, as Springfield calls him/her, the Omnipotent Supreme Being (OSB, for short) — it covers subjects as disparate as religion, masturbation, statutory rape, climate change and the Loch Ness monster, to name only a few.

Early reviews from book-industry insiders have been quite positive. Likening it to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Booklist compares Springfield’s writing style to “the clever, self-deprecating wit of Augusten Burroughs and Max Barry” and calls “Magnificent Vibration” “captivating, poignant and hilarious.”Still, Springfield seems quite out of sorts, even as he prepares to face a friendly crowd of faces that obviously see him as nothing less than a conquering hero.“There’s good stuff about [glowing reviews],” he says, “like, ‘That means I’m better than I thought I was.’ Then it’s ‘No, wait. I’m not, really. It’s just them talking.’ Which is part of my drive, honestly. It’s part of why I’m still doing what I’m doing. Somewhere in me I’m still searching for that golden moment that will suddenly make everything wonderful.”Springfield sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about keeping his depression in check, his personal concept of God and spirituality and getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read that interview at: www.billboard.com/articles/news/6084831/rick-springfield-opens-up-on-writing-religion-sex-suffering

THUNDER – A NEW STUDIO ALBUM:Thunder – A New Studio Album! “Yes peeps, the band has been talking about this for a wee while, and after what has been a rather silly amount of knob twiddling and string pulling, I’m happy to report that they’ve decided to record a new studio album. More details will follow when we get some, but I thought you’d like to know the decision is made. Thanks ~ The Thin & Rather Jubilant One.”

A cadre of rockers has joined forces for a new album to help combat the issue of global child slavery. Coming as the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram is threatening to sell nearly 300 kidnapped schoolgirls into slavery, “Set Them Free” features songs by the Policeand Sting covered by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Slash, Journey’s Neal Schon and Arnel Pineda, Joe Bonamassa, Heart, Julian Lennon, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze), Free alumnus Andy Fraser and EnVogue to support and raise funds for Rock Against Trafficking (R.A.T.), a new nonprofit group dedicated to raise awareness of and fight for an end to child slavery worldwide. The set is being curated and produced by R.A.T. founder Gary Stewart, and Schon tells Billboard that a September concert in the U.K. has also been broached.“This is for a very good cause,” says Schon, who recorded the Police’s “Synchronicity II” with Pineda for the project. “All kinds of artists are on this record. All these different versions of their songs will be on the album, and hopefully a live show that will probably be filmed for the benefit.”In a statement, R.A.T.’s Stewart says that, “27 million people are slaves today. 80 percent of trafficking victims are women and girls. Fifty percent are minors, and every year two million children are exploited in the global sex trade. We are joining together in a solid commitment through music to make a difference.”R.A.T.’s Director of Public Relations John Schayer adds, “It is our goal to unite people around the world to join us in this heartfelt effort to stop child trafficking and send the children home.”A release date, full track listing and other details are set to be announced in the near future.

THE DEAD DAISIES HEAD TO THE U.S. TO TOUR WITH LEGENDARY ROCK ACTS BAD COMPANY AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD:The US summer is synonymous with bands going on the road and for The Dead Daisies they’ll be spending it on tour with British classic rock giant Bad Company led by singer Paul Rodgers and American southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd for dates in the United States starting July 10.Following the release of their self-titled debut earlier this year, The Dead Daisies are proud to announce the Face I Love EP, out Friday 1 August. The eponymous single drops Friday 20 June along with an innovative interactive Facebook Application that will allow fans to be a part of the album cover art and music video. The Dead Daisies are happy to announce that they have signed and will release their new single and EP with local indie label Social Family Records in Australia and New Zealand.“This is the first group of songs that Diz, Marco and I have recorded with the Daisies,” declares Fortus. “I haven’t been this excited about a recording in a long, long time and think they really capture what the band has developed in to over the last year of touring. It’s new music for classic rock fans!”The touring lineup includes Jon Stevens (Noiseworks/Inxs) on vocals, David Lowy (Mink/Red Phoenix) on guitar, Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses/Psychedelic Furs) on lead guitar, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake) on bass, Dizzy Reed (Guns N’ Roses/Hookers & Blow) on keys and are pleased to announce the new addition of Brian Tichy (Whitesnake/Foreigner/Billy Idol) on drums.

“I am PSYCHED to hit, and I do mean, HIT!, the road, as well as every drum I can fit on the riser, this Summer with my buds in The Dead Daisies. We clicked the first time and we get to do it again with some of our favorite bands of all time! Bad Company with Simon Kirke! Lynyrd Skynyrd with good bud Michael Cartellone!! Yeah! My goal; groove hard, have fun, and swing for the cheap seats! I look forward to “A Dead Daisies Summer Of Rock, Volume, Ampitheaters, Power And Friends! See y’all there!!!” – Brian TichyDespite being a band that consists of seasoned rock veterans, The Dead Daisies celebrate technology and are heavily integrated into social media. On Monday, June 23, 2014 The Dead Daisies will launch the “Face I Love” App on their Facebook page and as well as a mobile app. Created to represent the iconic daisy skull logo of the band, Facebook users will be able to upload an image of the face they love to the App to create a photo-mosaic portrait of The Dead Daisies skull – and make it bloom.“Face I Love is dedicated to all MUSIC FANS around the world especially The Dead Daisies Fans because, without you, we don’t get to do what we do,” attests Stevens. “It’s like having a massive extended family seeing your smiling faces at our shows and for us that makes it all worthwhile.”

When the project comes to a close on July 27, the photo-mosaic portrait of The Dead Daisies’ floral skull, made up of thousands of images of fans of the band, will be used as the artwork for EP, music video, single and other promotional items. The promotion is a true collaboration between the band and their fans, bringing real meaning to the title of the song, “Face I Love”.Marco Mendoza affirms, “’Face I Love,’ was written for our fans and all the faces we see out in the audience when we play. I believe it was one of the first songs that we all collaborated on in the studio for the first time and BAM! Magic!”This will be the bands second tour of the United States, The Dead Daisies were part of the massive 25-date Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival through the US and Canada a long side Alice In Chains, & Jane’s Addiction among others in August and September of 2013.

The Dead Daisies’ self-titled debut album was released in the US and Canada through Caroline/Universal in August 2013 to exceptional reviews and was a featured iTunes release. Their first single “Lock ‘N’ Load”, a track co-written by and featuring legendary guitarist Slash received airplay on radio networks across the U.S. including national airplay on SiriusXM satellite radio, both Alice Cooper’s and Nikki Sixx’s popular syndicated radio programs and was named Rolling Stone’s Daily Download. The video for the single has been shown on over 20 outlets including play on Much Music, which beams into more than 30 million homes across North America. The song also stormed the UK radio airwaves and was placed on a number of key playlists including Team Rock, Kerrang Radio, and went to number 1 on Planet Rock Radio. It has also received spins on the UK’s largest station BBC Radio 2. Their follow up second single “Washington” was equally successful and went top 20 on the US Rock radio chart (Mediabase). This year is set to be a busy year ahead for The Dead Daisies with more dates around the world and the global release of a brand new EP and single in July.

5TH AVENUE ARE BACK:5th Avenue, the pioneers of Wacken, who had a hit with their cover version of Suzanne Vegaґs “Luka” and split up before their career really got off the ground, have teamed up again and put together a brand new album, mixed by Dennis Ward (Tesla, Pink Cream 69, Unisonic), out May 12 via Ruff Affair Records.After a 17 year break the Hamburg rock band 5th Avenue are returning to the stage. Along with their several earlier well known classics, the Wacken pioneers will be delighting us with some new sounds and proving just how much they love making music. Their new album It’s been a long way…ќ is out on 12.5.2014. The Hamburg band 5th Avenue formed in 1989 and built up a number of faithful fans in their home town within a very short space of time. They sold out Knust within 15 minutes of tickets going on sale, which even REM didn’t manage and they were able to prove their reputation as a great live act with various club shows and performances at big music festivals. Back in 1989 5th Avenue was one of the first bands ever to play the very first Wacken Open Air – now the biggest metal festival in the world – and as they went down so well with the audience, they were invited to come back and perform at Wacken several times. Live performances included opening for Kathrina & the Wavesќ, Little River Bandќ, Plan Bќ, Saxonќ, Mama’s Boysќ and D.A.D.ќ.In 1994 and 1995 5th Avenue were voted the most popular Hamburg band in the local daily newspaper Hamburger Morgenpostќ leaving such well-established German acts as Blumfeld and Marius-Muller Westernhagen trailing behind them.In 1994 5th Avenue signed a record deal with Dream Circle Records/Polydor. The band went off to the States to record their debut album in the legendary Goodnight LA Studios, produced by Roger Summers, an absolute sensation for the still very young band from Hamburg. Their first single ћLukaќ went down well straight away with several radio stations and climbed to top spots in many listeners charts.Rapid success and the media hype surrounding their USA trip led to tension in the band, with some members leaving and being replaced. The album never got released. 1996 the band split up.

At the end of 2012 5th Avenue decided to finally return to the stage and reform with a new line up. Their first test gigs, among others in the famous Hamburg venue Kaiserkeller and at the Kieler Woche, proved that the band from Hamburg had just as much fun playing as ever and hadn’t lost any of their power and presence on stage. Along with many other shows, the new line up gave a tremendous performance at the Hamburger Metal-Dayzќ in 2013 and were cited by many as being the highlight of the evening.Currently the band are hard at it in the studio rehearsing the songs from the lost tapes put down all those years ago in the States and laying down new tracks to finally perform to their many loyal and more recently acquired fans.After 17 long years – nomen est omen – the new album from 5th Avenue It’s Been A long Way will finally be released and presented live on a big festival tour in summer, with such higlights as the Wacken Open Air, Harley Days and Baltic Open Air.WebLink: www.5thAvenue-Hamburg.de

Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood rockers Spiders & Snakes be releasing their 9th studio album worldwide on May 27th on the Sansei Records label. Entitled Year of the Snake, the album features guest appearances by Billy Sherwood (Yes, Circa), Angelo Moore (Fishbone),Rik Fox (Wasp, Steeler), Ryo Okumoto (Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Spock’s Beard), Betsy Weiss (Bitch) amongst others.Year of The Snake is the first Spiders & Snakes studio album release since 2008’s Melodrama on the Corporate Punishment label (distributed by E1 Entertainment) and features all four band members sharing lead vocal and song-writing duties. The multiple lead vocalists lends the disc a depth that separates it stylistically from previous efforts, which mainly featured Spiders & Snakes co-founder Lizzie Grey on lead vocals. The new album was recorded in the Chinese calendar “Year of The Snake” (2013-2014) at Steady Studios in Burbank, California with engineer Gavin Ross at the helm – just short of the band’s upcoming 25 year anniversary.

Founded in 1990 from the ashes of Grey’s previous outfit – the notorious London, which famously spawned the careers of Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue), Izzy Stradlin, Stephen Adler, Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.), Fred Coury (Cinderella) and Nigel Benjamin (Mott The Hoople) – Spiders & Snakes immediately made their presence felt in their hometown of Hollywood by selling out venues on the Sunset Strip and the west coast with their Sweet meets T. Rex meets Mott The Hoople musical influences and over-the-top stage shows with special effects, costumes and scantily-clad female dancers.
Spiders & Snakes’ 1991 debut EP Arachnomania (released thru Red/Sony Distribution) charted in Japan and the U.K. on the import charts and the band never stopped, releasing Arachno II (1992), 2000 Retro (1993), Oddities: The Glitter Years (1995), Astro Pop (1997), London Daze (2000), Hollywood Ghosts (2005) and Melodrama (2008). During the rollercoaster ride of record deals that saw their catalog released by such labels as Rkd/RED, Rafr/Flipside, Cleopatra Records and Corporal Punishment Records- the band continued to tour and release music videos (two which aired on MTV in the 90s) and appear in B Films like ‘Vamps in the City” (MVD) and documentary films like ‘Hollywood Rocks’ (Cleopatra Films). Most recently, Spiders & Snakes have been featured in the opening segment of the hit reality show “Ex-Wives of Rock” (Fuse TV).
Says Lizzie Grey – who co-founded the band with drummer and vocalist Tim Yasui – “we’re simply not has-beens since we never officially became mainstream”. Continues Grey “I realized that if you stick around long enough you eventually become somewhat relevant again”
“Year of The Snake” will be released on Digital Download, CD and Vinyl formats and a 25th Anniversary tour is in the works. Spiders & Snakes will be appearing live at Paladinos, 6101 Reseda Blvd., Tarzana, CA on Friday, April 11th, 2014 for the annual “Rockers Against Trafficking” benefit featuring performances by Helmet, Dave Lombardo of Slayer, Robert DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots and members of W.A.S.P., Quiet Riot and many more.

Kerri Kasem, co-host of Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx and The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx, has decided to step down from her hosting duties with the national rock music radio programs.

Kasem, who broke the news to listeners on March 28th, shared that her decision to leave the programs after more than four years stemmed from the time commitment necessary to join Sixx on the road for Motley Crue’s final tour. In addition to her other radio hosting duties, upcoming projects and philanthropic efforts including The Kasem Cares Foundation, Kasem recently started her own business, Good Vapor of Beverly Hills, and is actively lobbying a Visitation Bill that would provide reasonable accommodations for adult children who want to visit their parents, and provide children the right to know when an ailing parent’s health becomes worse or if the parent dies.

Details regarding a new co-host for both programs will be announced on Wednesday, April 2nd. Leading up to her departure, Sixx Sense will feature an on-air tribute to Kasem from March 31 through April 2 with highlights from her years with the program, and a special goodbye video will be posted on www.SixxSense.com.

“This was not an easy decision,” stated Kasem. “I’ve had so much fun with Sixx Sense and The Side Show Countdown over the past four years. It was an amazing experience to work with Nikki and the Premiere team on both of these programs, and I’m so proud of their continued growth and success. I wish everyone the best of luck!”

“It’s been great having Kerri as a co-host for the past four years,” stated Sixx. “I’m so proud of the work Sixx Sense has done to provide two top level rock radio programs to millions of listeners worldwide. Although she will be missed, I fully support her new endeavors.”

Kasem joined Sixx for the launch of Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx and The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx in February 2010. Sixx Sense quickly became one of the most-widely-syndicated rock radio programs in the U.S. Today, it reaches 2.9 million weekly listeners on more than 100 stations nationwide and The Side Show Countdown airs on nearly 50 stations worldwide.